Could I love this not cheesy romance any more? No. So well done. Pregnancy without falling into a cheesy trope. That she wrote during her two pregnancies comes as no surprise as it was so nuanced and deftly done. Will certainly read another by her.

Perfect spring rom com! Beautiful cover, easy and pleasant writing, and great characters that were fun to root for. I love how the various relationships were complicated but the characters actually spoke to one another like adults and handled things maturely. The lack of frustrating misunderstandings made this really pleasant to read and I was delighted by the ending!

I had heard so much about this book and I was excited to read it! I really enjoyed the writing and characters. What a beautiful cover! The storytelling is sweet and the plot seems realistic. Definitely recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Cara Bastone!

Wow, this book was everything. I did not expect to love it as much as I did because let's be honest, the pregnancy trope isn't always the best. However, the way it was handled was exceptional. It's early in the year, but I guarantee that Ready or Not will show up on my top books list of 2024. I was hooked from page 1 and could not put it down. I had other books I had to read before this one, but I couldn't control myself and no other book was catching my interest because I needed to be back with Eve and Shep desperately. Ready or Not was warm, cozy, emotional, it hit some hard topics and handled them with care. Eve is so real and down to earth. Shep is such an angel baby. He is the standard. He is what all men should strive to be. I had butterflies reading this book. If you love Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonem Young and Emily Henry's books, you will love Ready or Not. I could tell this story was a labor of love, and Cara Bastone delivered.

🔑Key Elements:
-Accidental Pregnancy
-He Falls First
-Friends to Lovers
-Best Friend's Brother
-Slow Burn
-Found Family
-Set in New York

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thank you @netgalley @randomhouse and @carabastone for the eARC

Ready or Not is out now!

Wow. I am kicking myself for waiting so long to read this. I listened to this on audio in addition to reading an e-copy and I could not stop. This is a total bingeable book that really surprised me.

Eve Hatch goes out on the town with her best friend, Willa, and Willa's brother, Shep, after he got out of a long-term relationship. At the end of the night, the three say their goodbyes and flag separate taxis. Last minute, Eve decides she's not ready for the night to end and tells the cab driver to take her somewhere else. Eve ends up at a dog bar and hits it off with the bartender. She's not one to normally have one night stands, but chooses to do something out of her comfort zone as a "new me" revelation. What Eve doesn't expect, is to have a positive pregnancy test in her hand weeks later.

I was expecting this story to be super cheesy, but I love how ordinary the actions and feelings were. Eve had me laughing from start to finish. She is so witty and injects humor in the situation, while also staying realistic. I loved listening to Eve and Nurse Louise's banter. They had the same personality and I'm glad Eve had someone outside of her friend group to share her feelings with. I love her and Willa's relationship and how raw those emotions were. I also love Eve's relationship with Willa's husband. It was so endearing seeing him show up for Eve when his wife couldn't. I love how up front the relationship was between Eve and Ethan, her one night stand. Eve was honest in what she wanted from Ethan and didn't push anything that wasn't real. And Shep- my new book boyfriend. His devotion to Eve was so cute and I loved seeing their friendship deepen.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of Ready Or Not in exchange for my honest review. I cannot wait to read what Cara Bastone writes next!

Okay, this was PRECIOUS. I literally couldn't put this down. It did such a nice job of handling difficult topics, like infertility, and also celebrating pregnancy and friendship and love and and and! The audiobook was stunning and had me laughing out loud and avoiding interruptions just to keep listening. I loved the character growth Eve experienced and watching her get excited about being a mom and figure out what she wanted in life. This was truly a great read.

There was some pretty heavy spice at the end, but it is easily skipped if you prefer a closed door romance and you will totally still get the gist of the story!

First thought: This book really surprised me big time! I usually don’t like accidental pregnancy trope. As I struggled with infertility and it just gives me the yucks; but this book isn’t your normal take on this trope. It’s about the joy a baby brings into your world and those around you. It was captivating, funny and so well written. Loved it!

Eve is happy with her life, she moved to NYC with her bestie Willa from the MidWest to work for a non profit in conservation. Ok so maybe she living life dream adjacent and may not have the job she wants yet but she’s hoping she can work her way there. She has the perfect apartment and her two best friends.

Then after one night out in the town reconnecting with Willa and her brother Shep who just moved back she may of had a one night stand with a guy working at the bar. This wasn’t something she ever did, and of course the condom somehow failed and now she finds her life veering onto a new path.

Motherhood was something her bestie Willa wants so bad and has been trying for with her husband for years. It seems like a cruel joke to give her the gift of motherhood so easily when others struggle. There is no question she wants this baby, it may not be planned but it is a blessing. She just needs to figure out how her life will fit her new addition but she has 9 months for that.

This story follows Eve as she learns to balance the emotional complex relationship with Willa, trying to figure out what role the dad Derek wants in this babies life, and her growing feelings for the man always in her corner Shep.

Oh and did I mention that Shep has loved her for years and she just figured it out and now she doesn’t know what to do because pregnancy hormones have her all over the place!

Literally Themes you’ll find:

* Friends to Lovers
* Best Friend’s Brother
* Accidentally Pregnancy
* He’s Always Loved Her
* Navigating Life Changes
* Slow Burn


🩷💚💛🩷💚💛🩷💚💛🩷💚💛🩷

A 5 star read for me! Couldn't put it down. Thank for the ARC! Can't wait to read more from this author.

I loved this novel! Eve is young and navigating how her personal life and career will look in the next few years. However, after a night out with her best friends results in having a one-night stand with a cute and sensitive bartender, Eve's plans are all thrown out the window. This is a beautiful account of friendship, love, and new beginnings.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this novel.

I just finished Ready or Not and I still have tears stinging my eyes as I write this fresh review. I knew I was already a fan of Cara Bastone’s writing, but this book is simply a work of art. I’d rate it 10’s across the board in the categories of humor, heart and heat!

The FMC Eve is hilarious and SO relatable. The way she navigates her messy situation with such a distinctly awkward grace just spoke to my heart. I also had a young unplanned pregnancy and I found the way she moved through it all to be healing to my own experience. The MMCs are both perfect in their own roles and the way Cara wrapped it all up in a tiny pink bow left me with the tenderest heart. I’m definitely raising this book to my favorite of 2024 so far!

THIS BOOK. MY GOODNESS. I freaking LOVED it! And I'm not usually a fan of the surprise pregnancy trope, but I love the way it was portrayed in Ready or Not. Cara Bastone is an amazing writer and I was fully immersed in Eve's story from beginning to end. The way this story delves into the topic of pregnancy and the struggles that come with it, whether struggling to get and stay pregnant as is portrayed through Eve's best friend Willa, or having an accidental pregnancy occur from a one night stand and traversing the whole find him, tell him, come to terms with your own decision scenario that Eve herself is going through. This book just takes such care with each of those aspects of motherhood/womanhood. I really felt for Willa who was trying so hard to have a baby and then all of a sudden her best friend ends up pregnant without even trying? That would be so devastating and of course would affect their friendship and I think Cara does a great job depicting that and letting the readers see the emotions on both sides of the friendship, how Eve needs Willa more than ever but Willa needs some space to overcome her own grief. And then Shep! I love Shep so much; he's just a kind, caring, soft man who truly wants the people around him to be happy and secure. He's there for Eve more than anyone else is during her pregnancy and doesn't shove his feelings in her face or try to influence her, he just shows he cares through his actions and being there for her no matter what. Watching as Eve comes to realize that she doesn't just feel friendly things for Shep and is maybe falling in love with him -- possibly for longer than she even realized -- was so sweet. I also love that it's a best friend's older brother story where the brother was the nerdy one as a kid and fell first. Every aspect of this book worked for me honestly. Each of the characters were relatable in their own ways and so different from each other but able to form such close relationships. I love that Willa is the outgoing, fun friend who knows what she wants and goes for it but is also shown to be vulnerable and to have her own struggles. Eve is sweet and creative but indecisive and the opposite of Willa when it comes to identifying what exactly she wants and whether or not to take the risk and go for it. And then Shep is the steadfast guy who puts everyone else's happiness ahead of his own desires and not in a martyr way but just because it makes him happy to see them happy. He's sort of a floater, never really making a home for himself because for him, his home is wherever his people are. It broke my heart that he never really felt like he had found his place but then when he's apartment hunting and is again looking for a place that's close to Eve and that she would love, just makes it so obvious how much he just cares about being near her -- a place to live is just that if it doesn't have the person who feels like home there. UGHH I JUST LOVE THIS ONE SO SO SO MUCH. I could go on for days but this is already quite long so I'll leave it at this.

Ready or Not is just such a beautiful story of friendship, love, and pregnancy and I'm so happy I read it. I recommend it to everyone!

I had received an eARC from Dial Press Trade Paperback via NetGalley and then immediately went out and bought the physical copy after reading because it's just amazing. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Go check this one out!

I received an ARC copy of Ready or Not thanks to NetGalley and the publisher! It was such a cute story: a slow burn friends to lovers trope. The main character finds herself pregnant and feels alone. She tries to adjust to her new life and finds companionship in her old friend Shep. I adored these characters! The author did a great job of making them come alive. The writing flowed and it felt as if I was transported to Brooklyn. The book was a solid 4.25 stars for me! The last 25% of the book you won’t be able to put down! This book is worth the read!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC copy in exchange for my own personal opinion.

This book is perfect, I was in awe reading this whole story. Such a beautiful story about finding yourself but also learning to rely on others. Both main characters were so amazing, the mmc was the sweetest man on earth. I have no words about how much I love this book, I wish it wasn’t over I kept rereading the last chapter.

I had a really tough time getting into this one. It just didn’t seem overly realistic to me. I know, it’s fiction, but maybe it was the main character vibes that set the story off for me. She is young and not ready for kids, but not doing anything to prevent it. I don’t know, Eve’s reaction made me have a tough time with this book.

Thank you to Random House and Dial Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was a heart warming and emotional journey. I enjoyed the characters and watching their personal growth, and am always a fan of a book set in NYC.

Eve has three much older brothers, a best friend, Willa, who is married and is trying desperately to get pregnant. Along with Shep, Willa’s brother they know each other from elementary school.
On the other hand, Eve, single, no boyfriend finds out she is pregnant, surprised though when receiving the news.
Willa is struggling and more frustration comes when Eve tells her friend she is expecting. Now she algo has to tell the father, Ethan, who is a bartender at a dog bar. Shep, long time loyal friend, goes with her as moral support instead of Willa who is feeling a bit down when she learns that once again she is not pregnant.
Ethan is surprisingly supportive when the news arrive, even though now he has a girlfriend.
This is a story of true love and friendship that proves that any situation can be accomplish with the right people beside you.
Great read and it was better than I expected.
Thank you Netglet, Cara Bastone and PenguinRandomHouse for the ARC copy

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗬 𝗢𝗥 𝗡𝗢𝗧⁣
𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗔 𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗘⁣
⁣
Leí este ARC hace poco. Gracias por el libro gratis @prhinternational y @netgalley
⁣
Eve se entera que está embarazada.⁣
No estaba en sus planes, queda en shock, fue un encuentro casual, no está preparada.⁣
⁣
Vamos a acompañar a Eve durante su embarazo. Cada decisión, cada duda, cada lágrima y cada sonrisa. Ella se siente sola, con su familia no tiene unos lazos muy fuertes, su amiga se aleja un poco, el padre de la criatura tiene altos y bajos pero dentro de toda esta red de problemas aparece la ayuda y la compañía de la persona que menos lo espera.⁣
⁣
La trama central es el embarazo pero sin caricaturizarlo además de como Eve, paso a paso, acepta su nueva realidad y trata de hacer lo que mejor pueda. El amor está presente, pero también las dudas, el pánico, las ansias, las hormonas.⁣
⁣
Una novela que me sorprendió gratamente y que a medida que avanzaba me enganchaba más y más. Trata cada problema con altura de miras y nos presenta unos personajes, qué si bien no son perfectos, trata de arreglar las cosas con diálogo y altura de miras. Y eso se agradece mucho.

Una comedia qué recomiendo.

Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

This book was a nice warm and fuzzy story of a one-night stand that somehow works out to the perfect modern family with a baby and at times that was really great and at others I felt like the author was glossing over a LOT of key issues. And maybe we are supposed to get those issues because ROMANCE REASONS but it just felt like Eve, the main character, got everything she wanted and the struggles of being single and pregnant got boiled down to horniness and doing emotional labor for her best friend who is having fertility issues. Eve is unreasonably agreeable with almost everything, including the baby daddy disappearing randomly because of a relationship he's in.

These issues should honestly tank this book, but somehow they don't! Eve, for all of her "I should read a book about babies?," is loveable and I was happy when everything worked out for her in the end because why not? All of this should work out for someone, why not a fictional character? Shep, her friend and current crush, is too perfect while Ethan, the baby daddy, is too ridiculous. Her best friend and coworkers are just too something. I don't know. I liked this book but also couldn't handle how unrealistic it felt.

I really enjoyed this book. I laughed and cried which makes my favorite books. I didn’t want to put it down. It was a very cute and funny book. Enjoyed your writing style.

I wasn’t too sure what to expect from this book, mostly because plots that revolve around actual pregnancy aren’t something I’m familiar with. I also thought I’d be triggered by it (because of my own reproductive disorders), but it wasn’t actually the case!

This story is so sweet and heartfelt—a deep dive into what motherhood means when its approach comes alongside yourself. The book features a lot of really lovable characters and the sappiest friends-to-lovers romance with the most Labrador of male leads to exist. There’s also focus on friendship here, and I love that Cara also mentions Willa’s own struggles, because that one was an angle I really wanted to explore. I kind of wish Willa had her own book, actually! I think her story is one I’ll probably really love—just because her own pain is something that’s gnawed on me for quite some time.

I will say though that some parts of the book felt a little off-kilter for me, specifically the ~steamier bits. A part of me thinks it’s likely because I’m not too comfortable with the whole ~intimacy while pregnant~ thing, but that could just be a me thing! Personally, I would’ve preferred if this just remained a closed door romance, because I don’t think those scenes added value. But that could just be a me thing!

Overall a really sweet, easy read. 3.8🌙!